DAVID MURDOCK: Serving up leftovers (not turkey, dressing or pie)

Sunday

Nov 25, 2012 at 12:01 AM

In the tradition of Thanksgiving, I’m serving leftovers today. To write the column, I keep notebooks of ideas. Sometimes, an idea simply doesn’t pan out into a full column, but I still like the ideas. So, I’ve assembled some of the ideas from the last year that didn’t justify a whole column — “leftovers” — for y’all today.

By David MurdockSpecial to The Times

In the tradition of Thanksgiving, I’m serving leftovers today. To write the column, I keep notebooks of ideas. Sometimes, an idea simply doesn’t pan out into a full column, but I still like the ideas. So, I’ve assembled some of the ideas from the last year that didn’t justify a whole column — “leftovers” — for y’all today.First, the rear window of my car shattered in the heat this summer. I’ve heard of that happening before, but I’d never experienced it firsthand (or even secondhand or thirdhand, for that matter).I was in my office at work and someone called me down. Two students were standing next to my car when it happened, and they both said a baseball-sized section just popped like a balloon. By the time I got down there, the whole window was shattered and falling out.Another weather-related thing that caught my attention recently was the fallen leaves dancing in the wind when autumn started. Y’all remember those windy days right about when the leaves started falling? A whole bunch of vividly tinted leaves had gathered together in my front yard and had themselves a big old time. The winds were of various speeds and directions, and — like a manic, frenetic fiddler at an old time barn dance — never quite let the leaves rest. Just about as soon as the square dance was over, a Virginia reel began. I watched the leaves for quite a while as they shot up, changed direction, fell back down, settled a moment and skittered across the yard like the devil himself was after them. It occurred to me last spring that there are just too many books. I’ll never get finished reading at the pace I’m going now. At some point, I’m going to have to start reading more quickly or choosing my book selections more carefully. There’s not enough time for all of them.I’m a little competitive — just a wee bit — and I can’t walk into a library or bookstore without a pang of regret that I won’t be able to finish it off.Of course, I feel much the same way when I go to an "all you can eat” buffet. I’ve learned to deal with that feel of inadequacy. By the way, that “all you CARE to eat” thing doesn’t slow me down a bit. I CARE to eat as much as I CAN eat.That brings me to another thought about buffet-style restaurants. I love America. The restaurant buffet may be our nation’s greatest achievement. I’m only half-joking. A buddy and I walked into a popular breakfast buffet here in town a few months ago. The amount and variety of food they offered was staggering, all for about $10. If y’all ask me, that’s only a little short of a miracle. Think of how someone from the ancient world would have viewed that scene. Truly astounding. Give Americans a challenge, and we’ll come through, on both sides of the buffet.Well, I guess y’all can tell that I’m writing this column the day before Thanksgiving.The chipmunks around my house are becoming somewhat tame. I wrote once that they wouldn’t cross the porch while I was sitting there, but they will now. I have to sit entirely still, but they cross cautiously right in front of my feet. Sooner or later, they’ll get to the point where they won’t even exercise caution anymore. If they start nodding to me like folks driving to work do, that’d just be too much.A hawk sort of “attacked” me over the summer. He was taking a rest under the bushes around my porch. I came out and startled him. He decided to “git while the gitting was good” and came blazing out of the bushes. Unfortunately for me, I was in the “line of blazing.” Unfortunately for him, so was the ironwork post at the corner of the porch. He bounced off that post, changed directions, and went screaming across my neighbor’s pasture. This whole episode was over in less than 30 seconds. Birds are actually sort of fragile, and I hope he’s OK. He certainly made good time in getting to Lookout Mountain, though, so I guess he was fine. About three days ago, I went out to get the paper just as the sun was coming up. Sirius — the brightest star visible from earth — was just fading out, so I stood and watched it until it melted into the slowly “blue-ing” sky. There are some times when a person’s only possible response to life is just to be thankful for God’s creation. That was one.I hope all of y’all are still enjoying leftovers today. For me, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is extending the Thanks as long as possible. Thanks for reading.

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